


Three's A Crowd

by vengeantEntropy



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Broken Promises, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Cheating, M/M, Multi, Priorities, Sherlock (TV) Spoilers, Sherlock Holmes Has Feelings, Spoilers, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-19
Updated: 2019-02-19
Packaged: 2019-11-26 20:30:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18185378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vengeantEntropy/pseuds/vengeantEntropy
Summary: A three-way relationship between Sherlock, John, and Mary with the preconception that Sherlock had been added to John and Mary's relationship, presumably after the two had gotten together while Sherlock was 'dead'.The work does it's best to follow canon, although it's an interesting situation so obviously things are different in this world. There are spoilers! please have watched ALL of BBC's Sherlock Holmes series if you don't want to be spoiled first. I'm also going to apologize for the ooc bits of the story, because these characters basically became puppets for how I was feeling when I wrote this. I wrote it mainly as a way to vent, I suppose. I did edit it, but not much, so please excuse any errors.I did include the clips of the episode I used for reference while writing this. It just felt... right to keep the links in. So you can either ignore the clips and continue reading as usual, or you can watch the short clips to better understand the mindset I wrote this with. They do contain spoilers though! Watch all of the BBC Sherlock series if you don't want to be spoiled! This is your last warning from me about that.Also, I do not own any part of Sherlock Holmes, no matter how much I'd like to





	Three's A Crowd

“John, can we talk for a moment? Alone?” Sherlock asked, cutting off John's sentence with an eyebrow raised as he gestured back towards his room. John's eyebrows furrowed in concern before giving an apology to the client they had been talking to.

Once alone in Sherlock's room, John closed the door behind them. “Alright Sherlock, what's the matter?” He asked. 

Sherlock took a deep breath before letting out a huff. “I can't do this anymore, John.” Sherlock was unable to look directly at John, not yet, but he continued. “I can't be comfortable around you like I want to knowing that  _ she _ is still in the picture and that, at the end of the day,  _ she _ is the one who you choose. All my life, I've never been anyone's first choice. Hadn't even been their second or third, but you. You made me feel like I might've been your first choice. And then you ruined that confidence by going back to  _ her. _ By living with  _ that _ woman instead of with  _ me  _ where  _ you  _ belong _.  _ I refuse to do this anymore, John, and you should be grateful I'm telling you this instead of letting you find out for yourself like I'd rather have done. This human body of mine feels hurt because of you, and I, for one, am sick and tired of playing the slave to it.” 

Sherlock finally directed his gaze to connect with John's. “You may wish to collect your things as I cannot ensure that they will not be used in a criminal case. That is all.” Sherlock finished. John stared at him, his jaw slack and mouth open partially. Sherlock made to walk to the door.

A distinctive slap was heard and John's nose twitched in anger as Sherlock stumbled backwards. “What the bloody hell is wrong with you?” John hissed. Sherlock scoffed as he glared at John. “Says the man who just attacked me.” He jabbed. 

“Because you're making stupid decisions without talking to me first!” John retorted, his volume raising. “I wasn't aware my opinion mattered.” Sherlock snapped. John let out a laugh. “Of course it bloody matters! Relationships aren't one way streets.” 

“This one was.  _ She _ had the most power of us three and you know it.” Sherlock sneered. “Us being together all hinges on her own level of comfortability and you know it.” John replied. Sherlock's hand tightened to a fist. “Which is just another way of saying that you have and never did have any power over her and the only way to make her feel even slightly better about all this is to let her be in charge of your own feelings. And then you had the audacity to give her access to mine.”

“You take that back. No one is more or less important in a relationship.” John tried to explain. “Except me, seeing as I was the bottom of the totem pole. You were a step above me so perhaps you didn't see it as much, but she held the top spot. The position of power. All that we were allowed to say and do was controlled by  _ her _ even though  _ you _ are your own man and can make your own decisions. But you can't even do that, can you?” Sherlock jabbed. 

“No, that's not true. Sherlock, we made our own decisions too-” “Behind her back when you thought she wouldn't notice. She was a  _ spy _ , John. It was her job to notice things. She knows what we did the other day, and all the other times. By your personal actions, she should have figured out by now that you are only trustworthy to her face and that you should not be allowed to be alone with me any longer. That you'll stray as soon as she leaves the room.” Sherlock cut him off.

“Mary- but that's impossible, no, I would have known…” John's thoughts overwhelmed him and he desperately grabbed for the dresser by his side to hold himself upright and steady as his leg began to give out on him. “Damn this leg,” he cursed under his breath. 

“I cannot live this lie anymore, John. Either I am important to you, or I am not. There will be no more sharing. Besides, the female body is repulsive to an asexual mind such as myself. Science only knows why you specifically affect me as much as you do.” Sherlock huffed. 

“You are important to me though,” John mumbled. “Am I though?” Sherlock asked, reaching out to him. “Am I truly important when she's all that matters to you?” He quietly asked. “Of course you matter.” John whispered. 

Sherlock shook his head. “Move John. I have a case to solve.” He directed as he pushed his way passed John and left the room, door closing on John's face on his way out. Sherlock heard a pound on the door but tuned it out in favour of listening to the monotonous pleas from the newest city victim. 

 

* * *

 

[ https://youtu.be/7LetsxlvtLI ](https://youtu.be/7LetsxlvtLI)

 

A gunshot. The world turned to slow motion, but there were no solutions. Sherlock watched helplessly as John's wife was shot. Shouting was heard and bodies were a blur and yet, he was still. Frozen in his place. “You,” the accusing voice cut through Sherlock's trance. “You were supposed to keep her safe! You broke your promise. I trusted you! How could you let this happen?” The voice cried. 

John.

Sherlock did nothing as John flew at him, knocking them both to the ground as the shorter man's fists came into contact with his taller, thinner body. “You broke your vow!” John bellowed, his throws weakening as Lestrade and Mycroft pulled him away from the now bloodied Sherlock. 

Sherlock said nothing.

 

* * *

 

[ https://youtu.be/jWEEIMUMkG4 ](https://youtu.be/jWEEIMUMkG4)

 

“It's okay.” Sherlock attempted to comfort him.

“No, it isn't.” John replied. 

“No, but it is what it is.” Sherlock stated, pulling the grief stricken man into his arms.

 

* * *

 

John shuffled to the door after hearing the knock, the first time in weeks that he'd willingly gotten up. He sighed before opening the door to see Sherlock standing there. It was the first time seeing him since the immediate days after… Well, after  _ her _ death. 

Tears sprung to the emotional man's eyes and he flung his arms around Sherlock's neck. “I missed you,” he whispered softly. Sherlock wrapped his arms around the man and held him tightly, knowing how the physical contact made him generally feel better. 

“Why?” John asked. Why had he come to where he should no longer be welcome? “Mycroft was worried about the child and sent me. He figured it'd be better received than a stranger although we did anticipate more violence than this.” Sherlock replied.  

John hiccuped a laugh. “She's fine. We're fine. Even better now that you're- I just- I missed you.” His voice broke and he was little more than dead weight in Sherlock's arms. “I… suppose I missed you too,” was Sherlock's taut reply. 

“Come inside. You can see Rosie.” John all but begged. Sherlock rolled his eyes and he forcibly dragged John forwards enough to shut the door behind them. His arms went down to pull John's legs around his waist and used his grip to hold John up. John made a grunting noise of complaint, but otherwise didn't protest. 

Sherlock walked them down the halls to where he knew the nursery was. With one arm supporting John, he opened the nursery door and brought them inside. The walls were a pastel shade of yellow which felt oddly calming to Sherlock. 

He brought them over to the crib and pressed John's back against the wall for easier support. This let him use an arm to check Rosie over and make sure she was alright despite what her father might try to have him believe. When he was satisfied with the child's apparent well being, Sherlock backed up and sat down in the nearby rocking chair. He gently rocked John like he knew the man enjoyed. 

“Sherlock?” John mumbled into his ear. “Are you going to leave me again?” He asked. Sherlock stiffened. “I wasn't the one breaking the trust of a loved one to be with someone else, John. How do I know you wouldn't do the same to me?” He asked and John whimpered. “That's not fair. You know I loved you both in different ways. We just... weren't allowed to show off our love in general. If she had found out… if they had figured it out… We'd have been through immediately.” John explained. 

Sherlock growled at him. “Then that's to be considered cheating and you should have been upfront with her about it and worked it out. Or maybe you should have just left the bitch if she wasn't good enough to satisfy you because  _ someone _ needed a  _ man _ to fulfill their needs instead of a  _ woman _ . She lied to you. And you lied right back at her. So what if we were only doing what was comfortable? So what if you thought it wouldn't hurt her? Because life isn't fair. Things happen and events turn out the way they do for no apparent reason at all except to screw with you.  _ We _ were apparently never meant to be. Just because I'm here now doesn't prove anything. The child hasn't done anything wrong and deserves a chance to have a good life. I'm here as her godfather.” Sherlock replied. 

Sherlock could feel his shirt begin to soak through as John cried against it. “I've missed you so much,” He said with a whimper, “we needed you.” “If you needed me so much, then maybe you shouldn't have been with  _ her _ .” Sherlock replied, unable to sound like anything other than tired. 

“It's not as easy as that,” John mumbled. “Then what, John? What was I supposed to do about it?” He snapped. John cringed. “Just go along with it and feel good for the time that we did have together, that's all.” John supplied. Sherlock snorted in disbelief. “Because that would have ended so much better.” He replied, his eyes rolling as his lip twitched. 

John's grip on Sherlock tightened. “You don't know that.” He quietly said. “Uh huh. And you're willing to bet on that?” Sherlock replied. “I- well it's not like you gave us a chance anyways.” John argued. Sherlock scoffed. “Because I am a consulting detective, John. Based on our scenario and others similar, I could easily determine the major possibilities that would be the result of what we were. Unless Mary was going to completely change who she was, there was no way that I'd be able to be with you in the way that we were comfortable because it made her very much  _ un _ comfortable. Do you really need me to go on?” Sherlock asked.

John shook his head. “We would have figured it out at some point.” He dejectedly pointed out. “And when might that've been? Hm, John? A few months? A couple years? Never? I may be more machine than human, but I can assure you that I am indeed human in nature despite my mechanical tendencies. I couldn't wait forever for you to decide what you wanted.” 

“I don't know.” John replied. “But that didn't mean you had to run away.” Sherlock remained silent. “If you had just talked to us, then maybe this all could have been avoided.” John continued. 

“It wouldn't have made a difference other than wishful thinking. Now, get up. I need to get going. Mycroft has other errands for me to finish today.” Sherlock stated as he stood up and placed John on his feet. 

“But you just got here!” John protested. Sherlock sighed. “And I can't be someone you've settled for. I'm only second best to you. Now, whether or not you care, I must be going.” Sherlock replied as he left the room. John stumbled after him. 

“Sherlock, wait. Sherlock please!” He pleaded as Sherlock went straight to the front door. “What, John? I'm trying to leave,” was Sherlock's broken response. 

“I love you,” John truthfully told him. 

Sherlock opened the door. 

“Sherlock, please.” John desperately reached out, but Sherlock shrugged away his hand. 

“Maybe you should reevaluate your properties first. Goodbye John.” Sherlock stated before walking out the door and forcing it closed behind him. 

“Sherlock,” John softly cried as he fell to his knees, letting his forehead fall against the door. 

“Oh John,” Sherlock whimpered as he sank back against the door, his heart a heavy weight in his chest. 

The door remained between them, Sherlock unwilling to go back in, John unable to get back up. So close to each other, and yet, so very far apart. 

“I love you too John.” Sherlock whispered as a tear fell down his face. 


End file.
